Team USA's Mikaela Shiffrin Wins Skiing Gold

She's a winner: Team USA's Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates after taking gold in the women's slalom at the Sochi Games.

Olivier Morin AFP/Getty Images

Originally published on February 24, 2014 4:06 am

Eighteen-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin has lived up to her reputation as the pre-race favorite by winning the gold medal in women's slalom at the Sochi Winter Olympics.

She's the youngest ever winner, male or female, of an Olympic slalom gold medal, The Associated Press says. The previous holder of that honor: "Paoletta Magoni of Italy, who won gold at the 1984 Sarajevo Games when she was 19."

Friday's slalom silver medal in Sochi went to Marlies Schild of Austria. Third place, and the bronze medal, went to Kathrin Zettel of Austria.